Cleaning implement

ABSTRACT

A cleaning implement includes a joint for attaching the handle to a cleaning end and permitting two opposing sides of the cleaning end to be used to clean a surface. The joint is constructed in a manner that permits the desired movement of the cleaning end, but also utilizes few components and has a structure that permits quick and simple assembly. The cleaning end can include features that enhance its strength and stability. In addition, the cleaning end can include features that enhance the transfer of fluid from one side of the cleaning end to the opposing side of the cleaning end. Further, the cleaning end can include features that promote the drying of a cleaning material attached to the cleaning end after use.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This patent application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 61/293,438, filed Jan. 8, 2010, which is incorporated byreference in its entirety herein.

BACKGROUND

Cleaning implements for cleaning a surface, such as a floor, are wellknown in the art. Cleaning implements suitable for both wet and drycleaning of a surface are also known. Cleaning implements of this typetypically include a handle attached to a cleaning end. A cleaningmaterial is attached to the cleaning end for cleaning a surface.

BRIEF SUMMARY

The cleaning implement includes a joint that attaches the handle to thecleaning end and permits two opposing sides of the cleaning end to beused to clean a surface. The joint, in combination with the shape of thecleaning end, permits the user to “flip” the cleaning end over toutilize its opposing side. Thus, when a cleaning material is attached tothe cleaning end, the cleaning implement has twice the useable surfacearea of a cleaning implement that only utilizes one side of the cleaningend.

The joint is constructed in a manner that permits the desired movementof the cleaning head, but also utilizes few components and has astructure that permits quick and simple assembly, all of whichcontribute to the reduction of the manufacturing costs to produce thecleaning implement. The joint can be a two-piece construction withcomponents that can be snap-fit together. In addition, the joint canhave a snap-fit connection to the cleaning end.

The cleaning end can include features that enhance its strength andstability. In addition, the cleaning end can include features thatenhance the transfer of fluid from one side of the cleaning end to theopposing side of the cleaning end. Further, the cleaning end can includefeatures that promote the drying of a cleaning material attached to thecleaning end after a wet-use application.

A cleaning implement for cleaning a surface is disclosed. The cleaningimplement includes a handle with a distal end, a multidirectional jointconnected to the handle near the distal end, and a cleaning endconnected to the multidirectional joint. The cleaning end has first andsecond opposing sides, and at least one of the first and second sideshas a web. The web includes a plurality of wells. The multidirectionaljoint is moveable such that the first side can be used to clean thesurface, and the multidirectional joint is moveable such that the secondside can be used to clean the surface.

In addition, another embodiment of a cleaning implement for cleaning asurface is disclosed. The cleaning implement includes a handle with adistal end, a multidirectional joint connected to the handle near thedistal end, and a cleaning end attached to the multidirectional joint.The cleaning end has first and second opposing sides. The cleaning endhas a plurality of apertures disposed in a pattern extending acrosssubstantially the entire cleaning end. The multidirectional joint ismoveable such that the first side can be used to clean the surface, andthe multidirectional joint is moveable such that the second side can beused to clean the surface.

Further, another embodiment of a cleaning implement for cleaning asurface is disclosed. The cleaning implement includes a handle with adistal end, a multidirectional joint, and a cleaning end. Themultidirectional joint has a handle coupling portion and a cleaning endcoupling portion. The handle coupling portion is connected to thecleaning end coupling portion. The handle coupling portion is connectedto the handle near the distal end. The cleaning end is connected to thecleaning end coupling portion. The cleaning end has first and secondopposing sides. The cleaning end coupling portion is removeablyconnected to at least one of the handle coupling portion and thecleaning end. The multidirectional joint is moveable such that the firstside can be used to clean the surface, and the multidirectional joint ismoveable such that the second side can be used to clean the surface.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cleaning implement;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the cleaning implement of FIG.1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the cleaning end and joint forthe cleaning implement of FIG. 1 with the handle removed;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged exploded perspective view of the cleaning end andjoint shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged exploded top plan view of the cleaning end andjoint shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged exploded bottom view of the cleaning end and jointshown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged exploded front view of the cleaning end and jointshown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged exploded rear view of the cleaning end and jointshown in FIG. 4; and

FIG. 9 is an enlarged exploded right side view of the cleaning end andjoint shown in FIG. 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Turning to the figures, a cleaning implement 100 is shown in FIGS. 1 and2. The cleaning implement 100 can include a handle 102 and a cleaningend 104. A cleaning material 106, such as a cleaning pad, can beremovably attached to the cleaning end 104 to clean a surface, such as afloor. The cleaning material 106 can be any suitable material, such as amicrofiber cleaning pad. In addition, the cleaning material 106 can bereusable or disposable, and the cleaning material 106 can be a materialsuitable for a wet cleaning and/or a dry cleaning application. Thecleaning material 106 can include a pocket for receiving the cleaningend 104, and can have a cleaning surface 108 on its exterior sides suchthat both of the opposing sides of the cleaning material 106 can be usedto clean a surface. The cleaning material 106 can be removably coupledto the cleaning end 104 in any suitable manner including, but notlimited to, the use of hook and loop type fasteners to retain thecleaning material 106 to the cleaning end 104.

The handle 102 can be coupled to the cleaning head 104 with a joint 110.The joint 110 can have a structure suitable to permit the handle 102 tomove in multiple directions, and the shape of the cleaning end 104 alongwith the structure of the joint 110 can permit the cleaning end 104 topivot about the joint 110 such that both of the opposing sides 112, 114of the cleaning end 104 can be used to clean a surface. It will beappreciated that the joint 110 can provide any suitable degree ofmovement to permit the cleaning end to be “flipped” such that either ofthe opposing sides 112, 114 of the cleaning end 104 can be used to cleana surface. In addition, the joint 110 can have a suitable structure suchthat it can be quickly assembled.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the joint 110 can include a handle couplingportion 116 and a cleaning end coupling portion 118. The handle couplingportion 116 attaches to the handle 102 in a suitable manner. Forexample, as shown in FIG. 5, the handle coupling portion 116 can includea threaded receptor 120 for receiving a threaded end 122 (shown in FIG.2) of the handle 102. The handle coupling portion 116 can be attached,such as removably attached, to the cleaning end coupling portion 118.The handle coupling portion 116 can be attached to the cleaning endcoupling portion 118 to permit a pivoting movement, such as from side toside (e.g., left to right and vice versa) as shown in the representativefigures. As shown in FIGS. 5-7, the handle coupling portion 116 may havefingers 124 that snap-fit to a cylindrical bridge 126 on the cleaningend coupling portion 118 when assembled. It will be appreciated that thehandle coupling portion 116 can be connected to the cleaning endcoupling portion 118 in any suitable way, and these components can movein any suitable manner.

Referring again to FIGS. 3 and 4, the cleaning end coupling portion 118is attached, such as removably attached, to the cleaning end 104. Thecleaning end coupling portion 118 can be attached to the cleaning end104 to permit a pivoting movement, such as from side to side (e.g.,front to rear and vice versa) as shown in the representative figures. Asshown in FIGS. 4, 8, and 9, the cleaning end coupling portion 118 mayhave fingers 128 that snap-fit to a cylindrical bridge 130 on thecleaning end 104. It will be appreciated that the cleaning end couplingportion 118 can be attached to the cleaning end 104 in any suitable way,and these components can move in any suitable manner.

Utilizing a two-piece joint 110 with snap-fit connections reduces thenumber of components utilized with the joint 110 and makes assembly ofthe cleaning implement 100 both simple and efficient, all of whichreduces the manufacturing cost of the cleaning implement 100. Inaddition, the structure of the joint 110 permits sufficient freedom ofmovement of the handle 102 such that the cleaning end 104 can bedirected as desired by the user. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the cleaningend 104 includes a notch 132 permitting the cleaning end 104 to bepivoted about the joint 110 such that both opposing sides 112, 114 ofthe cleaning end 104 can be used to clean a surface.

The cleaning end 104 can have a particular shape that enhances thecleaning implement's ability to clean a surface. Referring again toFIGS. 5 and 6, the cleaning end 104 can include a web 134, whichenhances the strength of the cleaning end 104, particularly when thecleaning end 104 has a relatively large length and/or width to clean alarger surface area with each sweeping motion. Each cleaning side 112,114 of the cleaning end 104 can include a web 134. As shown, the web 134can have a general honeycomb shape, but it will be appreciated that theweb 134 could have any suitable shape. The web 134 helps to distributethe force from the user across the surface of the cleaning end 104. Inaddition, the web 134 reduces the amount of surface area in contact withthe cleaning material 106, which helps the cleaning material 106 dryafter it has been used for a wet cleaning application.

Wells 136 are formed within the web 134. The wells 136 can be anysuitable shape formed from any suitable number of sides. The wells 136can include apertures 138 that also help the cleaning material 106 todry after a wet cleaning application. Further, the apertures 138 permitthe flow of fluid, such as cleaning solution, from one side of thecleaning end 104 to the other. Thus, the apertures 138 can help improvethe distribution of fluid throughout the cleaning material 106. Thecleaning end 104 can also include one or more handholds 140 that can begrasped by a user to aid in placing the cleaning material 106 on and/orremoving the cleaning material 106 from the cleaning end 104. Thehandholds 140 can be particularly helpful in applications, such as inhospitals, where the cleaning material 106 must be changed frequently.

The use of the terms “a” and “an” and “the” and similar referents in thecontext of describing the invention (especially in the context of thefollowing claims) are to be construed to cover both the singular and theplural, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted bycontext. The terms “comprising,” “having,” “including,” and “containing”are to be construed as open-ended terms (i.e., meaning “including, butnot limited to,”) unless otherwise noted. Recitation of ranges of valuesherein are merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of referringindividually to each separate value falling within the range, unlessotherwise indicated herein, and each separate value is incorporated intothe specification as if it were individually recited herein. All methodsdescribed herein can be performed in any suitable order unless otherwiseindicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context. The useof any and all examples, or exemplary language (e.g., “such as”)provided herein, is intended merely to better illuminate the inventionand does not pose a limitation on the scope of the invention unlessotherwise claimed. No language in the specification should be construedas indicating any non-claimed element as essential to the practice ofthe invention.

Preferred embodiments of this invention are described herein, includingthe best mode known to the inventors for carrying out the invention.Variations of those preferred embodiments may become apparent to thoseof ordinary skill in the art upon reading the foregoing description. Theinventors expect skilled artisans to employ such variations asappropriate, and the inventors intend for the invention to be practicedotherwise than as specifically described herein. Accordingly, thisinvention includes all modifications and equivalents of the subjectmatter recited in the claims appended hereto as permitted by applicablelaw. Moreover, any combination of the above-described elements in allpossible variations thereof is encompassed by the invention unlessotherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context.

1. A cleaning implement for cleaning a surface comprising: a handle having a distal end; a multidirectional joint connected to the handle near the distal end; and a cleaning end connected to the multidirectional joint, the cleaning end having first and second opposing sides, at least one of the first and second sides having a web, the web including a plurality of wells, the multidirectional joint being moveable such that the first side can be used to clean the surface, and the multidirectional joint being moveable such that the second side can be used to clean the surface.
 2. The cleaning implement of claim 1 wherein both the first side and the second side have a web.
 3. The cleaning implement of claim 1 wherein the cleaning end has a plurality of apertures disposed in a pattern.
 4. The cleaning implement of claim 3 wherein the plurality of apertures are disposed in the plurality of wells.
 5. The cleaning implement of claim 3 wherein the plurality of apertures are disposed in a pattern extending across substantially the entire cleaning end.
 6. The cleaning implement of claim 1 wherein the web has a generally honeycomb shape.
 7. The cleaning implement of claim 1 wherein the web extends across substantially the entirety of the at least one of the first and second sides.
 8. The cleaning implement of claim 1 wherein the cleaning end includes an elongated slot forming a handhold.
 9. The cleaning implement of claim 1 wherein the multidirectional joint has a handle coupling portion and a cleaning end coupling portion, the handle coupling portion being connected to the cleaning end coupling portion, and the cleaning end being connected to the cleaning end coupling portion.
 10. The cleaning implement of claim 9 wherein the cleaning end coupling portion is removeably connected to at least one of the handle coupling portion and the cleaning end.
 11. A cleaning implement for cleaning a surface comprising: a handle having a distal end; a multidirectional joint connected to the handle near the distal end; and a cleaning end attached to the multidirectional joint, the cleaning end having first and second opposing sides, the cleaning end having a plurality of apertures disposed in a pattern extending across substantially the entire cleaning end, the multidirectional joint being moveable such that the first side can be used to clean the surface, and the multidirectional joint being moveable such that the second side can be used to clean the surface.
 12. The cleaning implement of claim 11 wherein both the first side and the second side have a web having a plurality of wells.
 13. The cleaning implement of claim 12 wherein the plurality of apertures are disposed in the plurality of wells.
 14. The cleaning implement of claim 12 wherein at least one of the first side web and the second side web have a generally honeycomb shape.
 15. The cleaning implement of claim 12 wherein the first side web extends across substantially all of the first side, and the second side web extends across substantially all of the second side.
 16. The cleaning implement of claim 11 wherein the cleaning end includes an elongated slot forming a handhold.
 17. The cleaning implement of claim 11 wherein the multidirectional joint has a handle coupling portion and a cleaning end coupling portion, the handle coupling portion being connected to the cleaning end coupling portion, and the cleaning end being connected to the cleaning end coupling portion.
 18. The cleaning implement of claim 17 wherein the cleaning end coupling portion is removeably connected to at least one of the handle coupling portion and the cleaning end.
 19. A cleaning implement for cleaning a surface comprising: a handle having a distal end; a multidirectional joint, the multidirectional joint having a handle coupling portion and a cleaning end coupling portion, the handle coupling portion being connected to the cleaning end coupling portion, the handle coupling portion being connected to the handle near the distal end; and a cleaning end connected to the cleaning end coupling portion, the cleaning end having first and second opposing sides, the cleaning end coupling portion being removeably connected to at least one of the handle coupling portion and the cleaning end, the multidirectional joint being moveable such that the first side can be used to clean the surface, and the multidirectional joint being moveable such that the second side can be used to clean the surface.
 20. The cleaning implement of claim 19 wherein the cleaning end has a cylindrical bridge and the cleaning end coupling portion has a plurality of fingers for removeably engaging the bridge. 